The invention relates to microphone positioning in a vehicle for voice communication, and in particular to the positioning of a microphone close to the mouth of the operator or driver when in the operator""s or driver""s seat.
In the development of the technology of providing a microphone through which a voice communication from the operator or driver of a vehicle is transferred to a processor , it has been found that the positioning of the microphone in the vicinity of a moveable light shielding device known in the art as a sun visor or visor that is located near the top of the windshield through which the operator must look in engaging in operator tasks, has benefits in that, at that location, extraneous noise is shielded and better voice transmission is achieved.
There have been a number of approaches in the art directed toward employing the visor as an supporting member to which a microphone may be attached. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,405 the microphone is merely clipped onto the visor. In other U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,442,813, 4,706,273 and Des. 315,890, the microphone is part of a processor located in the visor.
While the vicinity of the visor has benefits as a location to receive operator or driver voice communication, the visor itself is a separate piece of equipment that has specific uses, some of which involve positioning that is incompatible with the operator or driver voice transmission benefits such as the situation that occurs when it becomes necessary to use the visor to block sun light that is coming in the window of the driver""s door, which situation would require moving any attached microphone out of the direct line of the driver""s voice.
Recent advances in the art of high accuracy speech recognition in voice communication systems have placed additional constraints on microphone placement and aiming in those systems in relation to the location of the mouth of the operator. In such systems it is also of advantage to be able to retrofit the microphone positioning to accommodate voice communication progress into existing vehicles.
A desirable situation would be to be able, with relative ease of installation, to position a microphone in the vicinity of the visor without having the microphone and visor interfere with the performance of each other.
In the invention a structural means is provided for positioning an operator""s or driver""s voice communication microphone in a vehicle in the vicinity of the visor without interfering with the movement and functions of that visor.
The positioning of the microphone is achieved with a structural capability; that has a first functional portion that is attached in connection with a retention and stabilizing member for the visor, that in turn is attached through an interface with a support portion of the vehicle that is built into the vehicle and serves as the supporting member to which the visor is moveably attached; and a second functional portion to which the microphone is attached, that extends essentially in the plane of the support portion interface, to a position above the visor when the visor is in the stored position.